The Morning: MAGA, Beijing edition

Plus, Israel, Florida and women's basketball.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 2, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering China's efforts to bolster the Trump campaign — as well as Israel, Florida and Iowa's big win. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meeting in 2017. Damir Sagolj/Reuters MAGA, Beijing edition America's biggest adversaries evidently want Donald Trump to win the 2024 presidential election. Vladimir Putin's preference for Trump has long been clear. And now China's government is taking steps to help Trump's presidential campaign. As my colleagues Tiffany Hsu and Steven Lee Myers report: Covert Chinese accounts are masquerading online as American supporters of former President Donald J. Trump, promoting conspiracy theories, stoking domestic divisions and attacking President Biden ahead of the election in November, according to researchers and government officials. The accounts signal a potential tactical shift in how Beijing aims to influence American politics, with more of a willingness to target specific candidates and parties, including Mr. Biden …. Some of the Chinese accounts impersonate fervent Trump fans, including one on X that purported to be "a father, husband and son" who was "MAGA all the way!!" The accounts mocked Mr. Biden's age and shared fake images of him in a prison jumpsuit, or claimed that Mr. Biden was a Satanist pedophile while promoting Mr. Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. This effort has been modest so far, and it remains unclear whether it will grow — or whether Beijing-linked accounts will later try to balance their approach with anti-Trump posts. For now, though, at least parts of the Chinese government appear to have picked a side in the 2024 election. In today's newsletter, I'll explain what China and Russia hope to gain from a second Trump term. Spheres of influence Putin's reasons to prefer Trump seem obvious (even if Putin claims otherwise). Biden leads an international coalition opposing Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and U.S. support has enabled Ukraine's much smaller military to stall Russia's advance. Trump has suggested that he will end this support. A central part of Putin's war strategy, intelligence experts believe, is to wait for Ukraine's Western allies to tire of the war. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in 2019. Pool photo by Maxim Shipenkov China's reasons to prefer Trump are less obvious. Trump, after all, took a more combative stance toward China than any U.S. president since Richard Nixon re-established ties with Beijing. The Associated Press and Washington Post have noted that Beijing seems unhappy with both Biden and Trump. But there appear to be at least two major ways in which China's leaders could benefit from a second Trump term. The first involves America's engagement with global politics. Biden believes that the world is in the midst of a struggle between autocracy and democracy, and he sees the U.S. as the leading democracy, much as past presidents from both parties did. In Biden's view, the U.S. is "the indispensable nation" that must defend a democracy when an autocratic neighbor attacks, as Russia did in Ukraine and China may eventually do in Taiwan. Putin and Xi take a less idealistic view toward global affairs. They instead believe that strong nations should be able to control their own regions. Under Xi, China has become more aggressive not only toward Taiwan but also toward other neighbors. China has also expanded its influence in Africa and Latin America, effectively challenging the U.S.'s status as the world's lone superpower. Trump has shown little interest in these issues. He is an isolationist who embraces the slogan "America First." He prefers that the U.S. avoid international conflicts, and he is skeptical of treaties and alliances. He said at a recent campaign rally that Russia's leaders should be able "to do whatever the hell they want" to some European countries. For Moscow and Beijing, the benefits of an American president who holds these beliefs are large. Potential chaos The second major advantage of a new Trump term for China and Russia is the domestic chaos that could result in the U.S. Trump governed as no previous American president did. His White House was often disorganized, and his positions could change quickly. A recent example involves China. As president, Trump favored forcing ByteDance, a Chinese company, to sell TikTok, and many congressional Republicans (as well as Democrats) continue to hold this view. But Trump recently reversed his position. One possible explanation is that a Republican donor whose firm owns a stake in ByteDance — and could lose money from a forced sale — lobbied Trump. In Dayton, Ohio.  Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times In a second term, the turmoil could increase. Trump has promised to use the government's power to investigate and potentially jail his political opponents. He has encouraged his supporters to use violence to get their way. And he has so angered many Democrats that they became radicalized on several issues (including Covid lockdowns, immigration and policing) in ways that have divided the party. A politically chaotic U.S. could allow other countries to assert more global influence. I understand that Trump supporters will object to the idea that he could undermine the national interest. Many support him precisely because they believe he can protect the country in a way no other politician will. His central promise, of course, is to make America great again. What's striking, however, is that the country's biggest global rivals believe that a Trump victory will serve their interests instead. More on Trump Trump avoided financial disaster by getting a $175 million bond from an insurance company in California for his civil fraud case. Read more about the deal. The judge overseeing Trump's Manhattan criminal trial banned him from criticizing the judge's family members. Trump had criticized the judge's daughter. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Florida The Florida Supreme Court allowed the state to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, but voters will get to weigh in. A ballot measure in November would protect abortions until around 24 weeks if passed. Voters will also get to decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana in the state, Politico reports. More on Politics Speaker Mike Johnson  Kent Nishimura for The New York Times Speaker Mike Johnson said that lawmakers would consider a bill to aid Ukraine when they return next week. He noted that it would include other policies meant to appeal to House Republicans, many of whom oppose more support. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign said he had enough signatures to appear as a third-party candidate in North Carolina, a swing state, The Hill reports. Oregon reimposed criminal penalties for hard drugs, three years after decriminalization. Read an interview with the mayor of Portland about why the state's experiment "failed." Biden, flanked by two people in giant bunny costumes, hosted the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. He also rejected Republican criticisms for commemorating Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter Sunday. Middle East In Damascus, Syria.  Youssef Dafawwi/EPA, via Shutterstock Israel struck part of the Iranian Embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, and killed at least seven Iranian officers, according to Tehran. Israel and Iran have been in a shadow war for years. A nonprofit run by the chef José Andrés paused operations in Gaza after seven of its workers were killed in an airstrike. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident. Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would shut down Al Jazeera in Israel. Israel granted our Jerusalem bureau chief a rare visit to Gaza to see Al-Shifa, a major hospital, shortly before Israeli troops withdrew from it. See images of the damage. Trump's call for Israel to "finish up" its war in Gaza has alarmed some Republicans and Israelis. More International News A munitions factory in Ukraine.  Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press Ukraine has increased its weapons production, but its homegrown supply may not be growing fast enough. Manufacturing jobs have lifted millions in developing countries out of poverty. Automation threatens to undo those gains. Other Big Stories At least one person in Texas has been diagnosed with bird flu after having contact with dairy cows. The U.S. government said hospitals must obtain written consent from patients before they undergo pelvis and prostate exams, especially if patients will be under anesthesia. Washington State enacted a "Strippers' Bill of Rights" to protect dancers from harassment and violence. Lou Conter, the last known survivor of the battleship Arizona from Pearl Harbor, died at 102. Opinions Money really does buy happiness for about 85 percent of us, according to the work of Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize winner who died recently. Costa Rica wants to become the Silicon Valley of Latin America. It could give the U.S. a new source for microchips, Farah Stockman writes. The government should let people sell a kidney to save lives, Dylan Walsh argues. Here is a column by Paul Krugman on Trump loyalists' approach to public infrastructure. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. MORNING READS Tatiana in New York.  Randy Smith for The New York Times Where to eat: The Times critic Pete Wells revealed his annual ranking of the 100 best restaurants in New York City. See the list. Murder: The Chinese billionaire behind Netflix's "3 Body Problem" was poisoned. Read about a case "as bizarre as a Hollywood blockbuster." Walking and talking: In London, urban ramblers find friendship and fitness by strolling the city together. "The plane is fine": Inside an airline course to help people overcome their fear of flying. Denmark: A writer returns to his grandparents' former home — a castle. Ask Well: Should you eat your vegetables before your carbs for better blood sugar? Lives Lived: Esther Coopersmith was a long-reigning Washington hostess, a well-connected diplomat and a top fund-raiser. For decades, a place at her dinner table provided access to money, influence and power. She died at 94. SPORTS Caitlin Clark NCAA College basketball: Caitlin Clark scored 41 points, including nine three-pointers, as Iowa's beat L.S.U. to advance to a second straight Final Four. The lineup: Connecticut will join Iowa in the Final Four after a 80-73 victory over No. 1 seed U.S.C. M.L.B.: Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros threw the first no-hitter of the baseball season in a 10-0 win against the Toronto Blue Jays. N.B.A.: Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is expected to return soon after an injury. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS In Northern Ireland. Paulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times Recovering history: In June 1922, an explosion destroyed an office in Dublin's main court complex, causing the loss of sensitive documents and census returns dating to the Middle Ages. Seven years ago, a group of experts started a project to recover that history. The team has found a quarter of a million pages of duplicates in libraries and archives. Read about the team's efforts. More on culture "Star Trek" collectibles.  Connie Aramaki for The New York Times A lifelong "Star Trek" fan left behind a house filled with memorabilia. "I've never seen a collection that size," one expert said. The retailer Brandy Melville sells many clothes in one size. That's upset some people who think the store should be more inclusive, The Wall Street Journal reports. Jon Stewart discussed A.I. on "The Daily Show." THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … David Malosh for The New York Times Cobble together an earthy, creamy turmeric pasta with pantry staples. Watch these movies and TV shows coming to Netflix this month. Buy a gift for a frequent traveler. Get better sound from your TV. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was virology. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Looking for Strands? It's not yet on the NYT Games app, but you can play it online here. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David P.S.: Four Spelling Bee enthusiasts explained why they wake up in the middle of the night to write hints for their fellow Bee lovers. Correction: Yesterday's newsletter referred incorrectly to Narendra Modi. He is the prime minister of India, not the president. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. 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